Reversible toy vehicle



NOV; '18, 1952 5, BERGER 2,618,101

REVERSIBLE TOY VEHICLE Filed Jan. 12, 1950 .Hlll

ICAL 51 4 52 4g 4! 11.

I q' 19 INVENTOR Sam aell Eager "1- ITORNEYS Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATE ram" FFICE 13 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical toys and more particularly to a toy vehicle.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a toy vehicle that has but few parts, none of which are delicate or likely to become out of order and Which are relatively simple and inexpensive to construct and assemble, which vehicle is capable of traveling in a definite direction and can change its course upon contact of any portion of its body with an obstacle, to clear the latter, without the need for clutches or any complicated mechanism.

According to the invention these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicle taken along line I-I of Fig. 2,

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the vehicle,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig, 2 showing the truck turned 90 degrees,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stop plate.

Referring now to the drawings, in the embodiment herein shown to illustrate my invention, the toy vehicle desirably comprises an elongated substantially rectangular frame II, preferably of sheet metal and desirably having a pair of transversely aligned ears I2 near one end thereof, depending from said frame and preferably integral therewith, said ears mounting an axle I3 on which a pair of wheels I4 is rotatably mounted.

A truck I5, desirably a substantially U-shaped member, is rotatably mounted beneath said frame II, near the other end thereof, preferably on the vertical drive shaft it of a motor M, with said shaft I6 extending through an opening I! in the cross piece I8 of the truck and perpendicular to said cross piece.

The motor M, which is desirably of the conventional spring wound type is mounted on the upper surface of the frame as by means of tines I9, desirably formed integral with casing H of the motor and extending through suitable openings in the frame. A cover 22 which may serve as the body of the vehicle is desirably afiixed to the frame over the motor M to conceal the latter.

The truck I5 carries a pair of spaced parallel wheels 23 and 24, desirably mounted on an axle 25 positioned at right angles to drive shaft I5 and extending through bearing openings 26 in the depending legs 21 of the truck.

One of said wheels, i. e. wheel 23, is idly mounted on said axle and the other of said wheels, 1. e. wheel 25, is rigidly mounted on said axle to be driven by the latter through a transmission from the main drive shaft which includes a crown gear 28 and a meshed pinion Z9 affixed on the drive shaft I6 and the axle 25 respectively.

Thus, as only one of the wheels is driven, the tendency will be for the truck I5 to rotate about shaft I6 when the vehicle is placed on a surface.

Means are provided to prevent vertical displacement of said truck I5 on said drive shaft I6 which would cause the pinion 29 to be disengaged from the crown gear 28. Although any suitable means could be used for this purpose, in the embodiment herein shown, a substantially U shaped yoke 32 is provided having an opening 33 through the cross piece 34 thereof through which said drive shaft I6 extends. The upper ends of the upstanding legs of the yoke 32 are affixed to the cross piece I8 of the truck I5 as by means of the tines 36, securely to retain the yoke in place with the cross piece 34 thereof adjacent the hub 31 of crown gear 28.

The construction thus far described is not per se claimed herein as it i conventional.

According to the present invention, a pair of complementary elements are mounted on the frame II and the truck I5 respectively to engage each other, to restrain rotation of said truck I5 about drive shaft IE to cause the vehicle to travel in a definite direction. One of said elements is movable by its mount in a circular path with respect to the other of said elements, and said elements are constructed so that the movable element will move across the other of said elements for release thereof when said vehicle hits an obstacle, to permit rotation of said truck I5 to change the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Although the complementary elements, one of which is displaceable on its mount and the other of which is fixed, may be of any suitable type, and the displaceable element may be mounted on the truck It or on the frame II, in the embodiment herein shown to illustrate the invention, the displaceable element is mounted on the truck and movable therewith, and desirably comprises a ball ll positioned in an opening 52 in the cross piece of the truck, and the other element desirably comprises a stop 43 fixed with respect to the frame II and in the circular path of movement of said ball Al on its mount.

The ball 4| which is desirably of smaller diameter than opening 42 is resiliently retained therein as by means of a leaf spring M with diametrically opposed portions of the periphery of the in Fig.4,

ball protruding through said opening. Leaf spring 44 is rigidly affixed at one end to cross piece i8 as by means of an eyelet 45 extending through opening I! and serving as a bearing for the drive shaft 16. The free end of the leaf spring M desirably has a seat therein, preferably an opening 36 of smaller diameter than said ball, to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

Preferably two stops 43 are provided, desirably protuberances in the circular path of movement of said ball and positioned approximately 180' degrees apart. Thus, when the wheels 23, 24 turn in a clockwise direction as shown'in'Fig. 1,"the

truck 15 will tend to turn in a counterclockwise,

direction as shown in Fig. 2, and whenthe ball 4| abuts against either of the stops E3; the axle of the wheels 23, 24 will be transversely aligned with the frame ll, tof'cause the vehicle to move forwardly or rearwardly as the case may be dep n up whi h f ma t rs-.4 i en a by h 4 t .v cl mqvine i t e d r tion of thearrow when thetruck I5 is in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Although j the stops 43';coul dbe:for ined in ithe 7 frame ll itself and the portion of the periphery of said ball 41 extending throughsaid openin 42 adjacent the frame I I, could ride'on the undersurface ofthe latter, it is preferred to provide a stopplate 48 inthe form of a disc having an annular groove or track 49 i rIthe ball pressed therein near the periphery thereof and having the stops 43 extending transversely across said 1 annular groove ,49.

. As shown in Eig.-4=,Ithe stop plate desirably is affixed by-jines fil to-the undersurface of the frame Hand) has ahub 5210f relatively lazrge'di- -ameter throughwhich the drive shaft 1 6 extends, the 'hub'serving as a wide'bearingsurface for the cross piece i8 of the truck i5-to prevent tilting of the latter.

With 'the'construction thus described, when the vehicle is in'motionthe tension of the leaf spring 49, abutting against one'of said-stops-43as shown Thus-although the-truck l5 has=a"tendency to rotate about-drive shaft it, such 'rotation'will be restrained 'bythe coactioh of 'ball' l I and stop 43 and the vehicle will travel alon substantially a 'str'aightline'ih a-definite forwardly or rearwardly Y direction.

' as the latter can-*n' longer "move' forward, the drive "imparted by"driven"wheel 24' will tend" to rotate the truck about drive "shaft l6 and the a sudden 'force' applied by' b'all' 4 I against the stop 43 withwh'ich it is in contact will cause the ball to ride over said stop. v

The truck IE will thereupon be free' "to rotate, and as it rotatesflthe' direction of" travel of the vehicle will corrtinuously" change and the vehicle will tend to move me circular pathuntil the ball stacle is struck, at which time "the procedure above described'wil'l be repeated.

As many changes could bemaddin the above construction, and many apparently widely-different embodiments of "this invention could be made without departing from the scope'of the claims,

'it is intended that all'matter contained in the "dicular to" the frame and to the axes of said 'wheels, a pair of complementary elements mounted on said frame and said truck respectively, to

'- engage each other to restrain rotation of said truck thereby to cause said vehicle to travel in a definite'direction, means mounting one of said elements for vertical movement away from the other of said elementafisaid "vertically movable element being movable by "its mountfin'a circular path with" respect to the other ofs'aid elements,

'wher'ebywhen said vehicle hits an ob' s'tacle said "movable element will move across the other of said elements for release thereon thereby permit- 'j ting 'r'otationof said truck to change the "direc- "tion of travel'ofsaidfvehicle. v F p 2. A' toy vehicle "comprising a" wheeled frame,

' the other of said-wheelsi spaced'parallel'wheels, nejo said wheels being idly I mounted, drive m ea" s posji tiyely tofirotate @1 et lvfmo ing "saidtruckorrsaid frame on an: xisperpem dicular to the frame and to the-faxes off-said wheels, a pair of elementsmounted "on' said frame-andjsaid; truck-respectively to engage "'each other tore st'rain h rotation: of said truck thereby; tocausesai ehicleto" travel in a, definite direction; means mounting the element the" elementmounted on mounted on- "said? truck for fvertical movement away" from the element-mp nt'ed On said frame, I V ruck' bein'g fric'ivable in a, circularfpath' withm pectFt thelihnt imove acrossfthe othervo'f'sa 6 ere f the eb 1P6,

"to change the -dire spacedparallel wheel I g j idly mounted, drive means 7 -pos in said truck onsaid 'frarn'eion an axis ovable' element will n elem nt ofr' "ttingrotatiomof-said truck fl travelpfsaidvehi'cle. 3x'rytoyflvehicle co lsilflg la wheeled frame, a "truclg beneathf saidfrarne hicle hits an obstacle, sai

-then h oiaa1aen asement "iotatably fr'rloi intdicular to *theifra'me andffto {the f'axe pf' said w s wakin *ihees r t d r man Said trucki'respectively toi restrain the rotation of the to" cause said vehicle-to tra l infafde fin' e'direc- "tion; means mounting 'the displaceable member for vertical movement ,away from 'thestopg said "drive" means being' adapted fto rotate aid; trlick bstacle to jeffect relative movement betwee m j t figa thereof to" change the? direction o'ftravel of said "vehicle.

spaced parallel 'wheels, pne ci said whee -idly-'moi1iited,'idrive iiieans positively to 'r'otate 1 the other ofsaid-fwl'ieelsi n'i'ansrdtatably moimtdicular to the frame '-and to the axes" "of -said.

wheels, coacting means on said frame and said truck to restrain the rotation of the latter, said means including a pair of spaced stops and a displaceable member releasably and successively to engage said stops to cause said vehicle to travel in a definite direction, means mounting the displaceable member for vertical movement away from the stops. said drive means being adapted to rotate said truck on its axis when said vehicle hits an obstacle to effect relative movement between said engaged stops and said displaceable member for disengagement of said engaged stop and rotation of said truck until engagement of the other stop and said displaceable member to change the direction of travel of said vehicle.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4. in which said spaced stops are so positioned with respect to said frame and to the axes of said wheels on said truck that when either of said stops is engaged by said displaceable member, the axes of said wheels will extend transversely of said frame.

6. A toy vehicle comprising a wheeled frame, a truck beneath said frame having a pair of spaced parallel wheels, one of said wheels being idly mounted, drive means positively to rotate the other of said wheels, means rotatably mounting said truck on said frame on an axis perpendicular to the frame and to the axes of said wheels, a displaceable member mounted on said truck and a stop mounted on said frame in the path of movement of said displaceable member, means mounting said displaceable member for vertical movement away from the stop, whereby when said stop is engaged by said displaceable member the rotation of said truck will be restrained to cause said vehicle to travel in a definite direction, said displaceable member being movable across said stop for release thereof when said vehicle hits an obstacle, thereby permitting rotation of said truck to change the direction of travel of said vehicle,

7. A toy vehicle comprising a wheeled frame, a truck beneath said frame having a pair of spaced parallel wheels, one of said wheels being idly mounted, drive means positively to rotate the other of said wheels, means rotatably mounting said truck on said frame on an axis perpendicular to the frame and to the axes of said wheels, 9. stop conformation on said frame and a resiliently urged member mounted on said truck and movable in a circular path to abut against said stop to restrain the rotation of said truck thereby to cause the vehicle to travel in a definite direction, means mounting said displaceable member for vertical movement away from the stop, said resiliently urged member being movable across said stop for release of the latter, thereby permitting rotation of said truck when said vehicle hits an obstacle to change the direction of travel of said vehicle.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which said truck has a cross piece extending parallel to the axes of said wheels and said resiliently urged member is mounted on said cross piece.

9. A toy vehicle comprising a wheeled frame, a truck beneath said frame having a pair of spaced parallel wheels, one of said wheels being idly mounted, drive means positively to rotate the other of said wheels, said truck having a cross piece extending parallel to the axes of said wheels, said cross piece having an opening therethrough, means associated with said cross piece rotatably to mount the truck on said frame on an axis perpendicular to the frame and to the axes of said wheels, a ball positioned in said opening in the cross piece of the truck and movable in a circular path by the truck, a leaf spring afiixed to said cross piece and retaining the ball in said opening with a portion of its periphery protruding therefrom, a stop conformation rigidly mounted on said frame and in the circular path of movement of said ball to restrain the rotation of said truck to cause the vehicle to travel in a definite direction, said ball riding over said stop for release of the latter, thereby permitting rotation of said truck when said vehicle hits an obstacle to change the direction of travel of said vehicle.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 in which an annular groove is provided on said frame to serve as a track for said ball and said stop extends radially across said groove.

11. The combination set forth in claim 9 in which a disc is rigidly mounted on said frame and has an annular groove therein to serve as a track for said ball and a plurality of stop conformations are provided extending radially across said groove.

12. The combination set forth in claim 11 in which said stop conformations are approximately degrees apart.

13. The combination set forth in claim 11 in which said disc has a relatively wide hub to serve as a bearing surface for the cross piece of said truck to prevent tilting of the latter.

SAMUEL I. BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

